One-piece integral sleeper cabs have become very popular in the trucking industry. Integral cabs, because of their one-piece construction, are roomier, quieter and offer a smoother ride than traditional sleeper cabs. In recent years, one of the most popular integral cabs is the model manufactured by Volvo™ Trucks.
Traditionally, carriers run their highway trucks hard for a three-year period, after which, they are converted to day cabs and put on routes that are closer to home base so that the mileage count slows. After a couple years of service in this role, the truck has a maximum trade-in value.
The problem with integral sleeper cabs and especially the Volvo™ units is that, because of their one-piece construction, it has typically not been possible to convert them into day cabs. While individual custom alterations of various types of vehicles are known, such alterations are more costly than any benefits achieved from the conversion process when applied to integral sleeper cabs.